Southeast: Beauty schools see increase in applicants looking for career change

Maria Gonzalez was a receptionist until she was laid off. Now she is training to cut hair.

Gonzalez, 34, attends Bradenton Beauty and Barber Academy. "But right now with everything slowing down and being laid off, all the companies, you know, [are] not hiring at this time, so I decided to start coming to school here," she told Bay News 9 in Tampa, Florida.

The CNN affiliate reports that The Florida Association of Beauty Professionals says beauty schools throughout the state are seeing a 5-15 percent increase in students. Read Bay News 9 report on beauty schools

Liz Galdamez, director of the school, said her newly enrolled students were more likely to be looking for a career change than people in their 20s.

"We're seeing more people in their early 30s and 40s coming into this industry," she said

West: Man shows job hunters how to look for work on Twitter

A man who was laid off from his real estate job a year ago now organizes events that bring job seekers together while teaching them skills to use social networking tools.

Edwin Duterte runs Pink Slip Mixers and has put on 10 networking events in Southern California. Recently he held his first such event in Mountain View, California.

Perrine Crampton, a program manager who is out of work, was impressed with the willingness of other job seekers to help each other.

"That kind of thing is going on now. That is something I really hold onto, because it shows me that there is good in humanity."

Duterte said the Web sites Twitter and LinkedIn are a great way to build an online network of contacts. "If I get other eyes to look for you maybe you'll find a job faster than if you just look for yourself."

West: Navy hiring 1,000 civilians

The naval facility in China Lake, California, is hiring people with experience in engineering, physics, chemistry and other sciences.

Employees will work with explosives and other weapons systems.

"Let's say you're fresh out of college -- the average salary is somewhere around $50,000 a year," division commander Capt. Mark Storch told KABC of Los Angeles. "Very experienced people that might be looking for a job, too, we need them as well, and those jobs would be more like $100,000." Watch the report from KABC

The Navy is also hiring machinists and clerical workers.

"We're looking to bring on about a thousand people here," said Scott O'Neil, executive director of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.

Midwest: Agency ready to loan money to small businesses

The Small Business Administration in Oklahoma is encouraging businesses to apply for loans backed by the federal government.

The agency told KWTV in Oklahoma City that more than 40 banks were committed to the loan program.

"It'll loosen up the credit crunch," said Fred Munden, lead business development specialist at the Small Business Administration. "I think that the 90 percent guarantee, personally, was a good idea to help small business." Read the KWTV report on how businesses can get money

One bakery owner said it will keep her in business and possibly give her a chance to hire more employees.

"It will give us some operating capital," said Cherry Duran of Sweet Cherry's. "Right now, I don't have operating capital. As we get money in, we're spending it."